In a video shared on social media over the weekend, KISS revealed that their first virtual avatar show will come in 2027. The clip includes the fans’ testimonies and footage of the avatars.

“50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making,” the group wrote in the caption of the video.

KISS embarked on their farewell End of the Road World Tour in 2019 and played more than 150 dates around the world before wrapping up the trip with a show in New York City’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month. Towards the end of their final show, the band unveiled their plans to continue performing through their virtual avatars.

KISS is yet to reveal the full details of their virtual band project. It is being developed by Industrial Light and Magic and Pophouse, companies behind ABBA’s virtual show ABBA Voyage, with bassist Gene Simmons saying $200 million will be invested into the avatars.

The post KISS Schedule First Virtual Avatar Show for 2027 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

During the encore of their final show at Madison Square Garden, KISS co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons returned to the stage as digital avatars alongside guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, announcing the new, digital era of KISS.

Created by Industrial Light and Magic and Pophouse, the band’s digital avatars will live on and continue the band’s legacy. These two companies previously collaborated on the ABBA Voyage show in London, which also saw the members of the iconic Swedish band perform as digital avatars.

The band’s frontman Paul Stanley said they decided to have KISS immortalized this way because what they’ve accomplished has been amazing, but it’s not enough. The bassist Gene Simmons echoed his statement, adding they can “be forever young and forever iconic” with the use of technology that will take them to places they’ve never dreamed of before.

KISS performed their final concert at Madison Square Garden on December 2, and they said “this tour is the end of the road for the band, not the brand” long before unveiling their digital avatars.

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Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley, and Tommy Thaye recently set down with Howard Stern to discuss their plans for the future and announced the final leg of their ongoing final concert tour. They revealed that the final two shows will take place on December 1-2 at Madison Square Garden.

KISS later confirmed the news in an official statement, and said it felt fitting to culminate their career on stage at Madison Square Garden since NYC significantly shaped their career.

“New York City has been a part of our ethos and storyline for more than four decades… KISS was born in New York City. On 23rd Street. Half a century ago. It will be a privilege and honor to finish touring at Madison Square Garden, 10 blocks and 50 years from where we first started!” reads the band’s official statement.

The band’s massive End of the Road World Tour kicked off back in 2019 and it includes a total of 236 dates across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Oceania.

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The post KISS is Heading to Madison Square Garden for Final Shows of Their Career appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

In a recent chat with USA Today, the band’s co-founder and frontman Paul Stanley confirmed that Kiss doesn’t have plans to release a new album.

“I don’t really see a reason for it, to be quite honest,” said Stanley.

According to Stanley, new music released by classical bands is too often compared with their earlier works and gets “thrown away.”

“So it’s odd to me that people always want you to do a new album, but then they go, ‘That’s great. Now play your hits,’” he added. “So honestly, at this point, there isn’t a real reward in it.”

Kiss released 20 studio albums during their career, but only two of them came in the new millennium. The most recent, 2012’s Monster, received mixed reviews from the critics and peaked at No.3 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Kiss are currently in the midst of their The End of the Road tour, which should be the band’s final tour before disbanding. The band was forced to hit the pause button on live concerts in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all the remaining shows being postponed for late 2021 and early 2022.

The post Paul Stanley on New Kiss Music: “I Don’t Really See a Reason For It” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The three-day event is scheduled to kick off on June 4th with American legends Kiss serving as headliners. Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro will headline the next day, and heavy metal icons System Of A Down are closing the festival.

Kiss and System Of A Down were billed to headline the 2020 Download Festival before it was canceled due to coronavirus pandemic while Biffy Clyro stepped in for Iron Maiden, who was this year’s third headliner.

“We’re disappointed we weren’t able to make it over this year, but we’re looking forward to next,” said SOAD bassist Shavo Odadjian. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Mostly, we all just want to make sure everyone is provided with a safe and secure environment, so we were prepared to wait as long as we needed to.”

According to the official press release, next year’s lineup will host more than 70 bands. The lineup includes a variety of guitar music, from alternative rock and indie to metal, and features bands like Deftones, Korn, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Volbeat, Rise Against, Black Veil Brides, Gojira, A Day To Remember, Mastodon, and many others.

Check out the full lineup below.

The post Kiss, Biffy Clyro and System Of A Down to Headline 2021 Download Festival appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

While spirits were high both on stage and in the crowd, there’s no forgetting that this tour, aptly named End of the Road Tour, is scheduled to be Kiss’s last. In an interview to Australian Sunday Night, Simmons explained why the band decided to call it quits:

“It’s because of the pride that we have. Remember, we introduce ourselves with ‘You wanted the best. You got the best. The hottest band in the world: KISS.’” sais Simmons.  “I want those words to mean something, even until the very last show.”

Referencing his age, Simmons went on to say: I’m gonna be 70. B*tch, you wanna get into my outfit, you wanna step into my shoes? Ten pounds each. There’ll be about 42 to 45 pounds of gear. Oh, yes, you have to shoot fire out of your mouth, sometimes out of your ass. And you’re exhausted at the end of it.”

“So, could I be in a band until my late 70s? Sure. But I’d have to join U2 or The [Rolling] Stones, put on a pair of sneakers and a t-shirt and just strum. But in terms of physicality, we’re the hardest-working band on earth.”

The post Gene Simmons Turns 70, Explains Why This is Kiss’s Last Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

It is not uncommon for stars to admit that they were once bullied for being different. The realization that they do not fit into the crowd often makes potential stars realize that they are special and are destined for greater things.

Stanley has now revealed that the realization that he was different drove him towards music.

“I had what’s called a microtia, which is basically not having an ear … I wasn’t very socially adept, and when you have something physical that sets you apart from people, it makes you the target of unrelenting scrutiny and sometimes ridicule,” he told Dan Rather on The Big Interview.

He explained how he “was fortunate to have success come to me and realize that it didn’t change anything … I was blessed to be a part of an idea to become the band we never saw, and that led me on a course that I’m still on today. Where it’s taking me, God only knows.”

The full episode will air on Tuesday, April 23.

The post KISS Frontman Paul Stanley Discusses What Drove Him to Fame appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Kiss co-vocalist and bassist Gene Simmons recently talked with Sweden’s Expressen and told the magazine that the band will embark on a three-year-long tour in January 2019.

“It will be a three-year-long tour, starting in January 2019,” said Simmons. “We will go to all continents, though exactly where I can’t tell you now.”

This announcement is in line with the recent comments that Kiss’ co-vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley made.

“A major Kiss tour, I would say, starts at the end of January,” Stanley told CNBC when asked about the upcoming plans. “It hasn’t been announced yet, so don’t tell anybody … This will be the biggest tour we’ve done, the biggest show we’ve done.”

Kiss fans already started speculating that this huge tour might be also a farewell tour for the band, especially since they filed a request to trademark the phrase “The End Of The Road,” back in February. So far, Kiss has been denying such rumors.

“Let me put it bluntly: One day we are going to stop and do the last show. I don’t know when that is… I still look stunning in real life,” Gene Simmons told Australia’s News Corp. “The band’s in great shape — Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] are fantastic. Everybody finally seems happy with their lot in life.”

The post Kiss Planning a Three-Year-Long Tour Starting 2019 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

In a video shared on social media over the weekend, KISS revealed that their first virtual avatar show will come in 2027. The clip includes the fans’ testimonies and footage of the avatars.

“50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making,” the group wrote in the caption of the video.

KISS embarked on their farewell End of the Road World Tour in 2019 and played more than 150 dates around the world before wrapping up the trip with a show in New York City’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month. Towards the end of their final show, the band unveiled their plans to continue performing through their virtual avatars.

KISS is yet to reveal the full details of their virtual band project. It is being developed by Industrial Light and Magic and Pophouse, companies behind ABBA’s virtual show ABBA Voyage, with bassist Gene Simmons saying $200 million will be invested into the avatars.

The post KISS Schedule First Virtual Avatar Show for 2027 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

During the encore of their final show at Madison Square Garden, KISS co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons returned to the stage as digital avatars alongside guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, announcing the new, digital era of KISS.

Created by Industrial Light and Magic and Pophouse, the band’s digital avatars will live on and continue the band’s legacy. These two companies previously collaborated on the ABBA Voyage show in London, which also saw the members of the iconic Swedish band perform as digital avatars.

The band’s frontman Paul Stanley said they decided to have KISS immortalized this way because what they’ve accomplished has been amazing, but it’s not enough. The bassist Gene Simmons echoed his statement, adding they can “be forever young and forever iconic” with the use of technology that will take them to places they’ve never dreamed of before.

KISS performed their final concert at Madison Square Garden on December 2, and they said “this tour is the end of the road for the band, not the brand” long before unveiling their digital avatars.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PPV.COM (@ppv_com)

The post KISS Will Live on as a Virtual Band Following Their Final Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley, and Tommy Thaye recently set down with Howard Stern to discuss their plans for the future and announced the final leg of their ongoing final concert tour. They revealed that the final two shows will take place on December 1-2 at Madison Square Garden.

KISS later confirmed the news in an official statement, and said it felt fitting to culminate their career on stage at Madison Square Garden since NYC significantly shaped their career.

“New York City has been a part of our ethos and storyline for more than four decades… KISS was born in New York City. On 23rd Street. Half a century ago. It will be a privilege and honor to finish touring at Madison Square Garden, 10 blocks and 50 years from where we first started!” reads the band’s official statement.

The band’s massive End of the Road World Tour kicked off back in 2019 and it includes a total of 236 dates across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Oceania.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KISS (@kissonline)

The post KISS is Heading to Madison Square Garden for Final Shows of Their Career appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

In a recent chat with USA Today, the band’s co-founder and frontman Paul Stanley confirmed that Kiss doesn’t have plans to release a new album.

“I don’t really see a reason for it, to be quite honest,” said Stanley.

According to Stanley, new music released by classical bands is too often compared with their earlier works and gets “thrown away.”

“So it’s odd to me that people always want you to do a new album, but then they go, ‘That’s great. Now play your hits,’” he added. “So honestly, at this point, there isn’t a real reward in it.”

Kiss released 20 studio albums during their career, but only two of them came in the new millennium. The most recent, 2012’s Monster, received mixed reviews from the critics and peaked at No.3 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Kiss are currently in the midst of their The End of the Road tour, which should be the band’s final tour before disbanding. The band was forced to hit the pause button on live concerts in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all the remaining shows being postponed for late 2021 and early 2022.

The post Paul Stanley on New Kiss Music: “I Don’t Really See a Reason For It” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The three-day event is scheduled to kick off on June 4th with American legends Kiss serving as headliners. Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro will headline the next day, and heavy metal icons System Of A Down are closing the festival.

Kiss and System Of A Down were billed to headline the 2020 Download Festival before it was canceled due to coronavirus pandemic while Biffy Clyro stepped in for Iron Maiden, who was this year’s third headliner.

“We’re disappointed we weren’t able to make it over this year, but we’re looking forward to next,” said SOAD bassist Shavo Odadjian. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Mostly, we all just want to make sure everyone is provided with a safe and secure environment, so we were prepared to wait as long as we needed to.”

According to the official press release, next year’s lineup will host more than 70 bands. The lineup includes a variety of guitar music, from alternative rock and indie to metal, and features bands like Deftones, Korn, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Volbeat, Rise Against, Black Veil Brides, Gojira, A Day To Remember, Mastodon, and many others.

Check out the full lineup below.

The post Kiss, Biffy Clyro and System Of A Down to Headline 2021 Download Festival appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

While spirits were high both on stage and in the crowd, there’s no forgetting that this tour, aptly named End of the Road Tour, is scheduled to be Kiss’s last. In an interview to Australian Sunday Night, Simmons explained why the band decided to call it quits:

“It’s because of the pride that we have. Remember, we introduce ourselves with ‘You wanted the best. You got the best. The hottest band in the world: KISS.’” sais Simmons.  “I want those words to mean something, even until the very last show.”

Referencing his age, Simmons went on to say: I’m gonna be 70. B*tch, you wanna get into my outfit, you wanna step into my shoes? Ten pounds each. There’ll be about 42 to 45 pounds of gear. Oh, yes, you have to shoot fire out of your mouth, sometimes out of your ass. And you’re exhausted at the end of it.”

“So, could I be in a band until my late 70s? Sure. But I’d have to join U2 or The [Rolling] Stones, put on a pair of sneakers and a t-shirt and just strum. But in terms of physicality, we’re the hardest-working band on earth.”

The post Gene Simmons Turns 70, Explains Why This is Kiss’s Last Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

It is not uncommon for stars to admit that they were once bullied for being different. The realization that they do not fit into the crowd often makes potential stars realize that they are special and are destined for greater things.

Stanley has now revealed that the realization that he was different drove him towards music.

“I had what’s called a microtia, which is basically not having an ear … I wasn’t very socially adept, and when you have something physical that sets you apart from people, it makes you the target of unrelenting scrutiny and sometimes ridicule,” he told Dan Rather on The Big Interview.

He explained how he “was fortunate to have success come to me and realize that it didn’t change anything … I was blessed to be a part of an idea to become the band we never saw, and that led me on a course that I’m still on today. Where it’s taking me, God only knows.”

The full episode will air on Tuesday, April 23.

The post KISS Frontman Paul Stanley Discusses What Drove Him to Fame appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Kiss co-vocalist and bassist Gene Simmons recently talked with Sweden’s Expressen and told the magazine that the band will embark on a three-year-long tour in January 2019.

“It will be a three-year-long tour, starting in January 2019,” said Simmons. “We will go to all continents, though exactly where I can’t tell you now.”

This announcement is in line with the recent comments that Kiss’ co-vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley made.

“A major Kiss tour, I would say, starts at the end of January,” Stanley told CNBC when asked about the upcoming plans. “It hasn’t been announced yet, so don’t tell anybody … This will be the biggest tour we’ve done, the biggest show we’ve done.”

Kiss fans already started speculating that this huge tour might be also a farewell tour for the band, especially since they filed a request to trademark the phrase “The End Of The Road,” back in February. So far, Kiss has been denying such rumors.

“Let me put it bluntly: One day we are going to stop and do the last show. I don’t know when that is… I still look stunning in real life,” Gene Simmons told Australia’s News Corp. “The band’s in great shape — Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] are fantastic. Everybody finally seems happy with their lot in life.”

The post Kiss Planning a Three-Year-Long Tour Starting 2019 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.